I have a soft corner for stories set in Africa because the stories have layers and the storytellers seem to have an amazing grasp on human relationships. 'His Only Wife' is the story of Afi who is made to marry Elikem Ganyo, a very wealthy man whom she doesn't even know, to help his family in their quest to free him for the woman he loves, a woman his family doesn't approve of. Set in Ghana, this is the story of a woman, a very young woman coming from a very humble background who suddenly finds herself married to a man she doesn't know, a man who doesn't even attend their wedding, only to be reminded over and over again that she needs to work, rather put her best foot forward to ensure that he comes back to her, to his family. Will she succeed? Or, will she forever live under the fear of losing her husband to another woman if she fails in her wifely duties? It is a book which brings to the fore how a man remains blameless no matter what he does. It brings to the fore how marriages are often seen as a way to 'correct' strayed men. It brings to the fore the pressures on women to make a marriage successful. But more than anything else, this is the tale of a woman coming into her own. It is the tale of a woman who finds her voice despite the odds. I very much loved listening to it.

It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue

I really enjoyed listening to His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie. I have enjoyed reading novels set in Africa recently and have found reading about the lives of women in African countries fascinating. This book is a domestic type drama that revolves around Afi a Ghanaian woman who lives in a small town with her mother, her father had died and she didn't have huge prospects staying where she was. Her dream was to become a fashion designer, something she has great talent at. She was given an amazing opportunity, to become the wife of Elikem, a rich man whom her mother works for his mother. He is rich and could make her dreams come true. Afi agrees to marry him, but alarm bells start when he doesn't even show to their wedding and so she is married to him through a process called absentia. Something isn't right with the whole situation, but as time goes on Afi falls in love with Elikem, but her world is constantly shaken by the presence of another woman in their marriage.

The ending of this book made me cry, it made me rejoice and think about feminism and how women can find their own way of surviving in this man hierarchy based world.

The first line in the book - “Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding” - will intrigue you and make you think there is something wrong here. But curious as I am, I went ahead and read this book.

The story follows Afi Tekple, a young seamstress in Ghana, whose marriage was arranged by her family and Elikem Ganyo’s. She married into the wealth of the Ganyos knowing that her soon-to-be husband is with another woman and they have a daughter together. The Ganyos disapprove of the woman and they use Afi to win him back into his family. Afi from her timid state which follows what her mother and the Ganyos say, realizes what she really wants and stands by her decision. It is her courageous journey in discovering how far can she go with getting what she wants in life and in marriage.

Initially, I don’t know how to feel about this book. I supposed this is a typical African story on love, marriage (arrange one at that) and family. It’s how to be perfect daughter and trying to be a perfect wife knowing your situation is far from perfect. You marry the family clan, try to abide by what is right and proper in the eyes of the family and the community, the Uncle stands and dictates as head of the family for whole clan, the son no matter how successful is still being controlled by the mother and the mother who controls everybody because of her status. I am unfamiliar with Ghana customs and norms but the author thru her writing gives us a glimpse of their world. Though, some are specific to their culture but the story is something we are very much familiar with. The author’s writing is very engaging and invokes lots of emotions. She will made you root for Eli but at the same think what are you thinking! I expect real conflict and more drama as this touches polygamy in marriage and extended family issues but overalI I enjoyed reading the book, got me entertained and liked how the story ended.

Listened to this audio provided by Netgalley.

His Only Wife follows the story of Afi, who is placed into an arranged married with Elikem. Afi is a strong woman who does not succumb to the obligations instilled upon her by her family to appease to her new husband's desires, including him to remain in a relationship with a second woman. Afi does not appreciate being one of two women in Eli's life, especially as his second choice.

Thank you to Netgalley and Workman Audio for a free audiobook listen to His Only Wife in exchange for an honest review. I loved the elegant narration of this story, I felt like she made the story flow well without any missteps, even when she portrayed the voice of the male characters. I loved seeing Afi's increasing strength through the story and never faltered from her passion as a seamstress. The issues that stemmed from her new family fueled the fire in her and her business, which I really admired.

🌺🌼𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰~𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐳𝐨 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞🌼🌺⠀
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⠀
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 @netgalley 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @workmanaudio 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘺 @peacemedie 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.⠀
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'Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding' This is a story of a girl named Afi who is a seamstress in a small town in Ghana and is married to a wealthy family friends son, Elikem. Only difference is her husband could not attend his own wedding as he is busy!! Her mother teaches her to be acceptable and be a good wife to her husband whom she rarely sees and has a mistress whom he is devoted to.⠀
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This is a story of a girl who finds her own voice and existence in life after going through domestic drama! It was amazing to see how Afi who was supposed to win Elikem heart back, sees the reality of her marriage and makes a place for herself and her child in big city and makes a choice!⠀
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All the characters are beautifully woven and the story builds gradually. Loved the writer’s penmanship!! ⠀
The narrator, Soneela Nankani did an amazing job by bringibg this story of Afi to life. Her narration was crisp, clear And had the right pauses and pitch!⠀
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I would highly recommemd Peace Adzo Meddie's debut novel!! 📚📚⠀

An unending, unrealistic, boring family drama is how I can sum up this book.
Things I disliked:
-Flawed character arcs. Even if the characters are flawed, I’ll understand, because we’re only human. But throughout the story, there was no character development and it was very difficult to not spot that.
-Boring storyline. I did not get what the story is supposed to be about. Is there something to learn out of it? No.
-Unrealistic situations. I’d brush past this if it was a fantasy or sci-fi book, but this book completely doesn’t warrant this.
-Unconvincing ending. When I was in the last chapter I thought there’d be more to the story. The ending was very abrupt and wasn’t satisfying at all.
Things I liked:
-Narration. The story was narrated perfectly in the audiobook, which is the only reason why this book gets any stars.
Target audience – People with an obsessing interest in a family drama

Great read! Through an arranged marriage, Afi is betrothed to Eli, who didn't even have the time to attend his own wedding in person. The reader quickly finds out why. This story is the affirmation of a strong, principled woman, who will not to succumb to power and money.
The book takes place in Ghana and the description of the country's customs and traditions are fascinating. The behavior and accepted caste system that exists adds to the inequity of life there. The various characters' personalities, some so over the top and some so sympathetic, enhance the plot and make it a book hard to put down.
I especially enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook who distinctly made each character's voice stand out. Well done!

<I>“Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding.”</I>

Infuriating. Witty. Unlike anything else I’ve read. When I first read the blurb for His Only Wife, I knew I wanted to read it. Afi is a young woman who finds herself in the most bizarre marital situation I may have ever heard of, but sadly is probably more common than I’m aware. But this bizarre marriage leads her on a journey of self-discovery and growth, and it was a joy to witness her transformation.

A huge thank you to Reese's Book Club for introducing me to this gem. And thank you to NetGalley for letting me listen to the audio version of this book.

I started listening to His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie on audiobook, and I loved hearing the pronunciation of names and places in Ghana. I didn’t love the narrator - I thought she made Afi sound more whiny than the book, so I switched to just reading the book in the end and liked that better.⠀
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My favorite aspects of the story were learning about the Ghanian cultures, both wealthy and low/middle class. What a change to move from a village where you have to carry your own water to heat for a bath, to a swanky 5 bedroom house with all the gilded accoutrements you didn’t know you needed.⠀
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The dialogue about family obligation and cultural misogyny is so interesting (and not toooo far from our American society), but much more ingrained in the women of the family to be subservient. ⠀
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Afi’s personal transformation is perfectly done, and I love the twist at the end!⠀
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Thanks to Workman Audio for an advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A young women enters into an arranged marriage to a wealthy groom with a unique set of circumstances. He has a young child with a woman his family hates, who he was forbidden to marry. Her new husband refuses to end the relationship with his child’s mother but agrees to a traditional marriage to appease his family. The young couple falls in love but the wife begins to resent the other family. The book follows her from naive young woman unable to stand up for herself, through motherhood, to successful fashion designer with a voice.
The narrator did a great job reading the male voices without distraction. I recommend the audiobook.

A fantastic narrator. The book was not at all, I expected.

I choose this pick because of the logline Crazy Rich Asians but in Ghana. The story does give the reader an inside look at wealth and privilege in Ghana. Afe, plucked from a rural village and tossed into a marriage with a wealthy man, doesn't even have her husband at the wedding. It is months before he even visits the flat she lives in. He is either away on business or staying nearby at his house with the other woman.

Afe is quiet, shy, eager to please. She dreams of owning her own fashion brand, but it is up to her to force her way out of the confines of her quiet life and into an apprenticeship. She and Ellie begin a real relationship when he finally visits her, but she learns it is only because the first woman is out of the country. She allows herself to believe that she is the one Ellie will end up with and settles into life with her husband.

Throughout the story, we see Afe become an independent woman able to speak up for herself. This isn't the love story I was expecting, but it was the story I wanted. Ellie is a charming character and likable enough for the reader to understand why Afe loves him. He supports her and her fashion pursuits and allows her to step outside the traditional West African role for wives.

The problem is Afe wants more than the off the books arrangement they have. She wants a church wedding, a husband who doesn't live out of a travel bag, and to be the only wife.

This wasn't exactly the HEA of Crazy Rich Asians, but it was a powerful story.

I wasn’t sure if this one would be for me but I was so wrong. What a listen and absolutely right up my street. A real eye opener into another culture when it comes to relationships, family dynamics along with what’s expected of you where the family is concerned and how the genders are treated in different ways. Loved Afi as a character and how she grew as a person as the storyline played out and her influence on those around her. Really enjoyable listen that will keep your interest. The end seemed a bit rushed but it didn’t take from the book. The narrator was very good and was nice to listen to. Would definitely recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Workman Audio for the opportunity to read this ARC and review that was published on the 1st of Sept.

A lovely fresh contemporary novel. The premise of the book was really interesting and I was hooked from the opening line “Elikem married me in abstentia; he did not come to our wedding “
Afi, a young 21 year old living and working in a small town in Ghana with her widowed mother, has an arranged marriage organised by a wealthy family from her town. Knowing he loves another woman, who the family detest, and is the mother of his sickly child, this story shows Afi’s progressive change from a naive young woman to an assertive individual who develops a strong self belief and determination to succeed regardless. This book is about marriage and culture but also about love, jealousy, emotional turmoil and betrayal.
It was interesting to see how even in modern day in certain cultures there remains double standards in marriage, sexist attitudes and pressures exerted by families.
I listened to His Only Wife on audiobook, found it a compelling read and would definitely recommend.

I felt so incredibly lucky to receive a reviewer's copy of this audiobook! Are you serious?! It absolutely made my day and I finished it literally in one day, ignoring everything else in my life.

His Only Wife takes place in Ghana, which is very dear to my heart as I lived in Accra for half a year during college. The novel is following the character named Afi - a young seamsterss who feel she gradually loses control of her own life. One day Afi received a marriage proposal from a wealthy man, which is too good to reject, even though she doesn't know him. However, Ali realizes it may have actually been too good to be true when he doesn't show up to his own wedding, which is actually how the novel begins, and only meets him a few weeks later after having been moved into an apartment in central Accra.

The truth is, the husband loves another woman who would never be approved of by his family.

His Only Wife is an incREADible work of fiction, and I may only be a little bit biased since it takes you to the country and city I loved so much. It is unbelievable beautiful, raw, emotional, real, intelligent and relatable. Importantly, I would highly encourage everyone to listen to the audiobook version, which has a really great narrator.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free copy of this audiobook in exhcnage for an honest review.

"Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding." -Peace Adzo Medie, His Only Wife.

That is the first line of the book. It's simple at a glance but becomes more involved as the book progresses. This audiobook instantly hooked me because I needed to know the backstory as to why a woman would agree to marriage without her groom present. Afi Tekple is a fierce heroine and perseveres in this coming-of-age story as she navigates her changing world. There was a great mix of family drama and many moments of Afi being an independent woman standing up for her beliefs against her family's wishes.

I highly recommend this audiobook. It was entertaining, but I also learned more about Ghanaian culture.

Thank you #NetGalley for this free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I heard such good things about this book so I was very excited to read it. The story takes place in Ghana. The opening scene is the wedding ceremony of the main character. There is lots of pomp and circumstance around the event. We learn that the bride is to be the second wife of a groom who’s not present. The scene is full of rich culture and ceremonial detail. The bride is from a small rural , town and the marriage will elevate her status as well as that of her family. There is something unique about this arrangement as the groom is not present at the ceremonial. A lot rests on the shoulders of the bride as she’s been chosen to correct a bad match the husband made with his first wife. The main character, encouraged by family and in-laws, sets out to win the husband’s heart and drive the other wife out of his life. As the story unfolds we see the main character evolve and grow in execution of her independence and use of her voice.

The book is very fast paced and easy to follow. It’s rich in descriptions of Ghana, specifically Accra. At times I felt transported to another place the story unfolded. The description of the food, the people and the locations was enjoyable.

The scenes where the main character assumes a subservient role to please the husband were uncomfortable to read. The the backlash received from family when she attempts to assert herself was frustrating to read. The self serving uncle with his manipulative ways angered me at times. The women who befriend the main character were charicutures of independent women. This too was frustrating to read as they often gave the main character advice that was anything but progressive or empowering.
The character did find ways to exert herself and her independence throughout the book but these parts were overshadowed by the many compromises made to keep her husband.

I didn’t find any of these characters likable and the premise of the story was frustrating to read. I found myself judging this character throughout the book. I found myself asking “Why is she reacting as if someone pulled a bait and switch?”

There is a twist at the end that I found interesting to read. The ending is a pivotal point in the characters development. I wanted to be happy with the choice she makes and see it as an empowering moment but she was so wishy washy throughout new novel that I was simply glad to see the story come to an end.

I listened to this as a audiobook and found the narrator selected a mismatch to the character and setting of the story.

I could not get past this narrator. I enjoy listening on 2x and somehow the voice sounded like it was echoing on that speed. I’m going to check this one out as a physical book instead.

This book was so well written and such an interesting (albeit infuriating) story of love, family obligations, gender roles, and more. The book is modern, while broaching archaic constructs that still exist in certain cultures.

I loved Afi, and I couldn't be more inspired by her. Just a girl at the start of the book, she learns her worth and doesn't back down when it comes to getting what she deserves. The ending of this book broke my heart — in the best way — and made up for the time when I got lost a little in the middle of the story.

Thank you Netgalley for my first Netgalley audiobook.

I absolutely adored this book! I loved Afi, the heroine, and how she navigated her marriage to a man who was in a marriage with another woman. The writing was beautifully descriptive and transported me to Ghana. Through the story Afi found her voice and began to advocate for herself and her life.